Put your mortgage on England winning the European Championship in 2012. Why? Because they beat Wales 2-0 with their Clockwork Orange like performance in a, for England, radical 1-4-2-3-1 formation. Wales, a country with a population of approximately 3 million was out played, out coached and out classed by the heirs to Spain’s throne. The English media would have you believe that Darren Bent will be the top scorer in Poland/Ukraine, Jack Wilshere will be the player of the tournament and John Terry will lift the Henri Delaunay trophy. Please! England beat a team of second rate Championship players and on that basis they will win the European Championship? To put the result in perspective, Ireland recently beat Wales 3-0.

Speaking of John Terry is there a more arrogant, dislikeable and despised player in English football? No, I didn’t forget about Ashley Cole. Is Terry really the next in line of a distinguished list that includes Billy Wright, Bobby Moore, Johnny Haynes, Jimmy Armfield, and Kevin Keegan? He may be the king to a few thousand deluded Chelsea fans, but he is not fit to wear the arm band for England.What do Shaun Murray, Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Luke Pike and now Jack Wilshere have in common? They were built up by the English media as being the next Pele or Diego Maradona. Can Wilshere play well against a few teams better than Wales before he is anointed as the next Messiah of English football?The Welsh public, loyal British citizens roundly booed God Save the Queen, the national anthem of Great Britain and the English football team when it was played before Saturday’s game. The English fans flooded the radio call in shows to vent their moral indignation at the terrible slight committed by their Welsh cousins. The same English fans who routinely boo every national anthem, home and away and who have wreaked havoc everywhere the English national team has played. I guess the land of Shakespeare no longer does irony.

Contrary to the opinions of the English media, the best player in the world was not playing in Cardiff on Saturday. Shock, gasp, horror, but Jack Wilshere is not the best player in the world. That title belongs to Lionel Messi who wore the #10 of Argentina at the new Giants Stadium in New Jersey. Messi gave the US team the run around for 60 minutes and put on a clinic in passing and dribbling for the 78,936 fans in attendance. The US earned a credible 1-1 draw, but Messi was in a class of his own.The fans in attendance at the game were a mixture of US fans, Argentina fans, neutral soccer fans and some there for the event, but all there to see the little maestro in the orange boots. Therefore, it was disappointing to hear some around me boo him, accuse him of being a diver, a cheater and demanding the American players to “get stuck into him.” Most of the comments were made by fans of a particular nationality. I guess they are still bitter that a previous denizen of Argentina’s #10 shirt sent them packing from the second Mexico World Cup.

The number of fans that were in Giants Stadium on Saturday night was very impressive by any professional sport standards. The fact that almost 80,000 attended a friendly soccer game has been missed by some in the US media who still cling to the notion that America does not like the sport. A black mark in particular to New York’s, WFAN radio station and Connecticut’s, Hartford Courant. According to them, the “sporting world” was watching the University of Connecticut beat the University of Arizona in basketball’s NCAA tournament and both gave scant coverage to the US game. The editors at both outlets continue to have their heads buried in the sand.

After the latest round of European Championship qualifiers the group leaders have a familiar look about them. France, Holland, Germany, Spain and Italy lead their respective groups. The new power base in European football looks very much like the old power base. Throw in the likes of Portugal, Russia, Greece, Croatia and the Czech Republic who should also qualify and the Euro 2012 finals will be very competitive.

Robbie Keane and the Republic of Ireland are still in contention for a place in the finals. Keane scored the 46th goal of his career in his 105th international. He helped the Irish to a 2-1 win over Macedonia and a share of top spot in Group B. There are some fans in Ireland and amongst the media who think Keane is world class. His goal haul is impressive in number, but a lot of his goals came against mediocre opposition. A last minute equalizer against Germany at the 2002 World Cup in Japan/South Korea does not make Keane world class. He needs to score the goals against Slovakia and Russia to fire Ireland to Poland/Ukraine to silence some of his critics.

Question of the week: What big name MLS player was signed on a huge contract to score goals, but does not score them in practice let alone in games?

At a time when the world’s dictators are being over thrown by a wave of democratic reform Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA still clings to power. Blatter has changed the face of football since 1998 when he replaced Joao Havalange as the all powerful leader of FIFA. Despite the reforms he has introduced and the positive effect of taking the World Cup to new continents, a new leader to replace footballs great dictator is long overdue. The sport faces many battles to remain the world’s most popular sport and someone other than Blatter needs to lead soccer in the 21st century………The 16th MLS season kicked off on Tuesday night in cold and rainy Seattle. Despite the poor conditions 36,443 fans attended the Sounders home opener with the LA Galaxy. An entertaining game was decided by a spectacular goal by the Galaxy’s Brazilian forward, Juninho. The two teams played in typical early season mode, but the game was entertaining and bodes well for the remainder of the season. ……….The chance of an all English Champions League final at Wembley in May was all but ended when the draw for the last 8 was made last Friday. Chelsea and Manchester United were drawn against each other while Spurs will have to eliminate Real Madrid and Barcelona to get there. There will be no all English final in the Europa Cup either because Liverpool and Manchester City were both eliminated by mediocre opposition. The so called best league in the world will go another season without a European trophy……….

The 2011 Europa Cup Final will be held in Dublin, Ireland. It is safe to say the residents of the Fair City breathed a collective sigh of relief when Glasgow Rangers was eliminated from the tournament by Dutch side, PSV Eindhoven. Rangers’ fans have left a trail of destruction at various cities throughout Europe for the past forty years including Manchester in the aftermath of the 2008 UEFA Cup Final. Thousands of Rangers fans descending on Dublin would have been a political and security nightmare. The city and football’s reputation is now safe……..Cesar Luis Menotti, the former Argentina manager is in hospital and recovering after an operation to remove a cancerous growth. The 1978 World Cup in Argentina was the first one I can vividly recall and Menotti’s team in their resplendent blue and white shirts was the team of the tournament. He dropped a then unknown Diego Maradona from his squad, but his all conquering team led by Mario Kempes still won the cup beating Holland in the final. The ticker tape celebration of every Argentine goal with a chain smoking Menotti impassively looking on will continue to live long in the memory………..

David Langan, a gallivanting right back for Oxford United in the 1980’s has been granted another testimonial by his former club. Langan, 54 has fallen on hard times despite a previous testimonial from the Football Association of Ireland and hand outs from the Professional Footballers Association. It is a reminder to today’s millionaire players that there was a time when players earned no more than an average middle class salary. Today’s players should not feel sorry for the likes of Langan. They should however thank their lucky stars for a Belgian player, Jean-Marc Bosman. The rest as they say is history……….It was another normal weekend in the English Premier League. Manchester United played poorly and won. Arsenal dropped two points because of a goalkeeper error. Spurs outplayed a team, but did not win. Manchester City lost against a top four rival. Chelsea ground out a win. Sunderland failed to win a big game. Newcastle lost. The more things change, the more they stay the same………..

Round Six of Rangers versus Celtic was won by the team from Ibrox. Walter Smith won his twentieth trophy as manager when his team beat Celtic 2-1 in the CIS League Final. Celtic were the bookies favorites to win the cup, but as usually happens when the two giants of Scottish football meet, the form book went out the window. Rangers played better, were more organized and wanted the win more. Round Seven, next month, will go a long way to determining who wins this year’s title. Celtic will need to regroup and refocus if they are to reclaim the championship from their bitter rivals……..Juan Agudelo, the 18-year-old NY/NJ Red Bulls forward scored a 70th minute winner for his team against Seattle Sounders this weekend. Agudelo represents the next generation of MLS player. He has grown up with the league, been able to watch soccer on television, and more importantly has forgone a college scholarship to be a professional player. As more players like Agudelo commit to MLS, the league’s future success will be assured.

Two weeks ago Arsenal were chasing an unprecedented quadruple. Losses to Birmingham City, Barcelona and Manchester United have since ended their hopes in the Carling Cup, Champions League and FA Cup respectively. A season that promised so much is on the verge of extending a trophyless streak to seven years. The away game at West Brom next weekend now takes on immense importance to Arsene Wenger’s side............The Barclays Premier League, the so called best league in world soccer had a tough week. Arsenal was eliminated from the Champions League without mustering a shot in 90 minutes against Barcelona. Liverpool lost at Sporting Braga and Man City, the richest club in the world lost at Dynamo Kiev, both in the Europa Cup. Only Spurs managed to fly the flag for the BPL by eliminating AC Milan on aggregate in their last 16 UCL game.……….Harry Redknapp, by virtue of Spurs’ performances in the UCL has established himself as the leading candidate to replace Fabio Capello as England manager, when the Italian steps down. He has proved, that sometimes it is better to be lucky, than good. Redknapp should thank William Gallas, for his goal line clearance against Milan, for keeping his England aspirations alive. He should also send a bottle of champagne to Pato, Ibrahimovic and Robinho, the Milan forwards for being so inept in front of Spurs’ goal……….

Barcelona did not play well against Arsenal yet tore apart their South London opponents. What would the score have been had Barcelona taken their chances? The score on the night and on aggregate flattered Arsenal. Barcelona are one of the best club teams of all time, but another Champions League title is a must if they are to stand alone as the best ever……….Only seven days to Round Five of the clash of the Scottish heavyweights, Celtic and Rangers when they play each other in next weekend’s Co-operative Insurance Cup Final. If you like your football played with unbridled passion then this game is a must see………. The introduction of video technology is a necessity if soccer is to maintain its standing as the world’s best and most favorite sport. Some of the decisions that have been incorrectly called by game officials this season could all have been changed, if the fourth official was allowed to have access to video and the ability to change a call. Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, the technology would not have overturned the red card given to Robin van Persie in Tuesday’s game at Barcelona. However, it would have helped the fourth official to award a penalty to Barca for the foul on Lionel Messi. We will never know how the score line would have changed had either call be made correctly, but Arsenal fans would have been left with less of a bitter taste in their mouths……….

"It would be good for UEFA to show humility,” said Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger in the aftermath of his side’s loss to Barcelona. The words kettle, pot and black spring to mind where Wenger is concerned. He is a great manager, but not a great loser. Rather than point the finger at UEFA, Wenger should point the finger at himself for his team selection at Sporting Braga in the group stages. Had Arsenal not lost in Portugal they would have avoided playing Barcelona in the last 16. If self incrimination is beyond Wenger, then how about some criticism of his forward, Nicklas Bendtner for that woeful miss in the final minutes at the Nou Camp? The miss makes Bendtner’s celebration of his hat trick against Leyton Orient in the recent FA Cup replay all the more laughable……….The 16th Major League Soccer season kicks off on Tuesday night when Seattle plays Los Angeles at Qwest Field. Despite its critics MLS has survived and established a foothold on the American sporting landscape market. A number of teams are capable of lifting this year title, but a Red Bulls versus Galaxy final might be good for the league as a whole……….

The U.S. women’s national team won their eight Algarve Cup in Portugal this week when they beat Iceland in the final. Pia Sundhage’s team are no longer considered the best in the world, but will still be one the favorites for this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Germany……….Who says the U.S. cannot develop top class soccer players? The performances of Villareal’s, Giuseppe Rossi and Borussia Dortmund’s, Neven Subotic prove otherwise. Bob Bradley will rue the day that both players declared for Italy and Serbia respectively……….Prediction for the week: Manchester United to be eliminated from the UCL by Marseille on the away goals rule.